Frederick Charles "Freddy" Krueger is a serial killer and the central antagonist of the Nightmare on Elm Street series. A family man on the surface, Krueger was actually the serial killer known as the "Springwood Slasher". When he was caught and subsequently released on a technicality, the parents of his victims chased him to a shack out back of the power plant he once worked at and burned him alive. Rather than succumb to death, Krueger was offered the chance to continue his killing spree after death, becoming a Dream Demon that could enter his victims' dreams and kill them in the dream world, which would thus cause their death in the real world. He is the main antagonist of the Nightmare on Elm Street film series, predominantly portrayed by Robert Englund, and more recently, Jackie Earle Haley.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Amanda Krueger, a nun who worked at the Hathaway House, an asylum for the criminally insane, was accidentally locked in a room where one hundred maniacs were housed. They attacked and raped her repeatedly until she was found barely alive and ultimately pregnant. In September 1942, she gave birth to a boy named Frederick Charles Krueger,[1] who was placed with an abusive alcoholic named Mr. Underwood.[2]

Krueger's House

While in elementary school Freddy killed the class hamster and was bullied for being the son of a hundred maniacs. During his teenage years he would cut himself with a shaving razor for pleasure. He used the same razor to kill Mr. Underwood when he was beating him as revenge for all the times he abused him.[2]

Springwood Slasher

As an adult, Freddy worked at the local power plant, and had raised a daughter with his loving wife. However, behind that peaceful facade, lay in his own twisted heart a seething and horrific desire for vengeance and retribution for what hell Springwood had inflicted on to him. Targeting the children of his former classmates now turned the populace of Springwood, Freddy's MO was to take his victims to his workplace's boiler room. He created a glove with fish knives on the fingers, and as he kidnapped children, he mangled and tortured them with it. With their remains thrown and spread throughout town,[3] his acts earned him the reputation as the serial killer named the Springwood Slasher.[4] He killed around twenty children before he was arrested. However, because the arrest warrant was signed in the wrong place and the judge drunk at the time of the proceeding, Krueger was released. The townsfolk were furious and took the law into their own hands. They cornered him in his lair and doused him in gasoline and set him on fire. While the building was burning, Freddy was approached by Dream Demons. Krueger took the offer from Dream Demons to continue his killing spree. He was allowed to roam the Dream World, where any damage he inflicted would cause death in the real world.[3]

Attacking Nancy

"Come to Freddy."

—Freddy Krueger

Freddy as a teenager

In A Nightmare on Elm Street, Freddy invaded the nightmares of Tina Gray, Nancy Thompson, Rod Lane and Glen Lantz. Tina became his first victim when he slashed her across the chest with his clawed glove, which did the same amount of damage to her in the real world, and throwing and dragging her around the room, killing her. Rod Lane was accused of killing Tina and was arrested. Freddy hung him with the sheets on his bed in his cell, making it appear as though he hung himself. Freddy kept stalking Nancy, who devised a plan with her boyfriend Glen Lantz to capture him. That night however, Glen fell asleep and Freddy pulled him into the bed and shot him upward in a fountain of blood. Nancy managed to pull him into the real world and set him on fire, but he killed Nancy's mother, Marge Thompson, by burning her to death. Nancy confronted Freddy a final time and turned her back on him, draining him of all his powers and destroying him. In the end he appears to trap Nancy in a dream world where she is trapped in a red and green striped car with Tina, Glen, and Rod, driving away.

Possessing Jesse

"Go ahead, Jesse. Try it on for size. Kill for me!"

—Freddy Krueger

In A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge, Freddy was unable to operate in his usual way, so he appeared in the nightmares of Jesse Walsh, who moved into Nancy's house five years after she defeated Freddy. He manipulated him and made him pick up his clawed glove, and would often possess him to kill his victims, which would briefly transform his body into Freddy's (interestingly enough, whenever Freddy appeared, he was not wearing his clawed glove; instead, knives were protruding from his fingers). In this method, Freddy killed Schneider, Jesse's coach who was always punishing him, and his friend Ron Grady. He then proceeded to kill seven guests at Lisa Webber's party before Lisa got through to Jesse, who was able to fight Freddy from the inside, weakening him and using his power to set Freddy on fire; burning him and releasing Jesse unharmed. However, Freddy apparently returned to attack people in their nightmares, attacking Jesse and Lisa on the bus. Whether or not this was a dream sequence is unknown.

Stalking Kristen

Elm Street (particularly those whose parents were responsible for his death) in their nightmares, making it appear as though they were committing suicide, except Kristen Parker (who possesses the power to pull people into her dreams), Roland Kincaid, Taryn White, Joey Krusel, Phillip Anderson, Jennifer Caulfield, and Will Stanton, all of whom were committed to Westin Hills Asylum. Freddy killed Phillip and Jennifer, making their deaths appear as suicides. Hypnocil was prescribed to them at the request of Nancy (who now works at Westin Hills) and Neil Gordon. Unfortunately, during group hypnosis Joey was captured by Freddy and hung above a fiery pit, in real life putting him in a coma. Nancy and the Dream Warriors (Kristen, Kincaid, Taryn, and Will, all of whom have powers in their dreams) fought Freddy, but he was able to kill Taryn and Will. It is revealed that Freddy takes the souls of his victims in order to gain more power. When Nancy's father, Donald Thompson, and Neil attempt to bury Freddy's bones, he took control of them and impaled Donald on a spike. He then tricked Nancy and stabbed her to death but she was able to use his glove against him in once last attempt to subdue him. Meanwhile, Neil was able to bury Freddy's bones and throw holy water and a crucifix on them, destroying him once again.

How Sweet, Fresh Meat Freddy attacks Kristen for one last time

Encounter with Alice Johnson

"Welcome to wonderland, Alice!"

—Freddy Krueger

In A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Freddy managed to resurrect himself during a dream by Kincaid, involving Kincaid's dog, Jason, digging him up. He stabbed Kincaid dead and drowned Joey. When Kristen's mother gave her sleeping pills, Freddy threw her into the furnace, but as Freddy took her soul, she transferred her power to Alice Johnson. Freddy used Alice to get to more victims (who are not from Elm Street), by having her (unintentionally) pull them into the dream world and then him killing them. In this way, Freddy killed Sheila (making it appear as an asthma attack) and Alice's brother Rick. He later killed Debbie before Alice and her boyfriend Dan Jordan fought him, and Alice used a shard of stained glass window to reflect Freddy's evil back at him, causing the souls of his victims to tear him apart, destroying him and releasing them from him.

Come down to Papa! Freddy in his Dream Core

Revival and reuniting with Alice

"It's a boy!"

—Freddy Krueger

In A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, Freddy was reborn through the spirit of Amanda Krueger, and began using Alice's dream power, to pull more victims into his dream world, and tried to control her unborn son, Jacob's soul, to enable him to live in Jacob's dream world forever. He killed Dan, Greta Gibson, and fed Jacob with their souls, in order to turn him into a pure evil. Realizing this, Alice tried to find Amanda to bring Freddy back to hell. Later, he kills one of Alice's best friends, Mark Grey before Alice could defeat him. After Mark's death, Alice calls her another friend Yvonne, who survived from another Freddy's attack, to release Amanda's soul, and she enabled Jacob to use his power on Freddy to revert him back into an infant, where Amanda absorbed him. He was last seen attempting to claw his way out.

Leaving Springwood and death

In Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, Freddy killed all the children of Springwood except John Doe, whom he made forget about his past and sent him into the outside world so he could use him to get to his daughter, who is now called Maggie Burroughs, whom he intended to use to spread his influence outside Springwood. He also kept the adults of Springwood in mass psychosis. When three troubled teens named Carlos, Spencer, and Tracy traveled with John and Maggie to Springwood, and entered the house on Elm Street, Freddy killed Carlos and Spencer. John believed himself to be Freddy's son, but Freddy killed him by making him fall onto spikes. By this time, Freddy was so powerful that no one except Maggie, Tracy, and Doc remembered Carlos, Spencer, or John, as they were erased. Once Maggie figured out that she was Freddy's daughter, and Doc figured out that Freddy could be pulled out of the dream world (and subsequently killed), Maggie entered the dream world and pulled Freddy out. There, she inflicted several injuries on him before stabbing him with his own clawed glove and sticking him with a pipe bomb, which blew Freddy to bits and released the dream demons that gave him his power. However, while Freddy was dead and in Hell, he in unable to leave as everyone else do not know of his existence and therefore cannot fear him. This allows Springwood four years of peace.

Battle with Jason Voorhees

"Make them remember me, Jason. Make them REMEMBER WHAT FEAR TASTES LIKE!!"

—Freddy Krueger to Jason Voorhees under the guise of Pamela Voorhees

After his death, Freddy was stuck in Hell, unable to return to the Dream Realm nor real life, because no one remembered him and therefore was not afraid of him. Those who made contact with him were locked in Westin Hills (to avoid "infecting" the others) and given Hypnocil to prevent them from dreaming. However, in Freddy vs. Jason, Freddy discovered Jason Voorhees, another immortal serial killer, who had also been killed and sent to Hell (At the conclusion to Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, Freddy pulled Jason's mask into Hell after his death). By disguising himself as Jason's mother, Mrs. Voorhees, he was able to bring Jason back to life to spread fear, so people would think he was back. Eventually Freddy was able to return when enough fear was spread across Springwood, but the one thing Freddy hadn't counted on was that Jason wouldn't stop killing, stealing one of Freddy's victims from him. However, he did manage to kill Mark Davis.

"Die, you little bitch!"

—Freddy Krueger

When Lori Campbell (whose mother he had killed earlier), Will Rollins, Kia Waterson, Charlie Linderman, Bill Freeburg, and Deputy Scott Stubbs went to Westin Hills to get Hypnocil, Freddy possessed Freeburg (who was high) to inject Jason with tranquilizer (though Jason killed Freeburg in the process). Freddy attacked Jason inside his dream, but was unable to kill him. However, he nearly succeeded in drowning him, until Jason woke up. Lori and the others were currently taking Jason to Crystal Lake to give him a home field advantage for a fight with Freddy. Eventually, Lori pulled Freddy out of the dream world and he fought Jason. Initially, the fight worked more in Freddy's favor, as his agility was enough to overpower the much slower and stronger Jason. Jason, however, soon gained the advantage until Freddy cut off his fingers, took his machete, and inflicted several injuries on him before Lori set them both on fire, causing an explosion that sent them flying into Crystal Lake. Before the explosion, Jason pulled off Freddy's arm.

Freddy survived, and tried to kill Lori and Will, but was stabbed by Jason using his own severed arm, and Lori decapitated him with Jason's machete. Afterwards Jason walks out of Crystal Lake holding Freddy's head. It looks as if Jason has won the battle but Freddy's head winks at the camera followed by his laughter as the screen goes black. So it appears Freddy has survived and will continue to kill another day.

Freddy Kills Lori (Alternate Ending #1)

Freddy was disguised as Will, who was having sex with Lori, but Freddy reveals his glove, and kills her.

Battle in Hell (Alternate Ending #2)

Freddy and Jason were going to continue their battle in Hell, but they get stopped by Pinhead from the, "Hellraiser" films, and says, "What seems to be the problem gentleman".

Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash

In Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash, Freddy is trapped inside Jason Voorhees' head and wants to get out. He manages to learn of the Necronomicon Ex Mortis and once again uses the image of Pamela Voorhees to trick Jason. He uses Jason to bring him the cursed book, but had no idea that Ash Williams was going to be here in Crystal Lake which was renamed Forest Green. Ash learned from a group of kids at the new mega sized S-Mart about Jason himself. Ash thinks of him as some Deadite monster, so he goes to the Voorhees house himself to learn the truth. There, Ash finds the book and he along with a group of kids barely escape with their lives because Jason was hot on their trail.

The gang makes it back to the S-Mart, but Jason follows them and begins killing all of the store's shoppers. Ash and Jason tangle, but Ash is made a chump by Jason and he escapes with the book. The Necronomicon is brought to Jason's shrine to his mother where her severed head along with Freddy's severed head is as well. Freddy recites the chant "Klaatu Barada Nikto" to make himself all powerful again. He fully intends to get back to business in killing kids, but intends to deal with Ash first. Ash and the kids he is with fell asleep and Ash has a dream about being back at the same cabin where he lost his hand. However he had his hand back, but it soon morphs to look very similar to Freddy's bladed glove. Ash quickly retreats to a tool shed to get the chainsaw to lop it off at the wrist, but soon Freddy makes an entrance. Freddy manifests himself from the pools of blood that spat from Ash and he attempts to kill him.

Ash manages to escape by waking himself up, but he soon learns that whatever happens in the dream world also happens in the real world. One of the kids he was protecting learned that the hard way when Freddy killed him which made Ash incredibly sad and disgusted. They came up with a plan though to finally kill Jason and Freddy which is they went back to the Voorhees house. Using the book, Freddy gave himself the power to exist in both worlds, but also made Jason much smarter. Jason and Freddy's alliance ended with them again trying to kill each other, but Ash and another survivor finally managed to defeat them both. Freddy was sent to the Deadite dimension and Jason was trapped underneath a frozen Crystal Lake. However, Jason's eyes open one more time to prove that he can't be defeated...

Characterization

Freddy can enter the dreams of anyone on Elm Street in Springwood (provided that there is enough fear of him), and whatever injuries he inflicts on them in the dream world will appear on them in the real world. This is how he kills his victims. He usually uses his clawed glove, but often manipulates the dream world around him, usually in accordance to a person's personality or fears. (For example, he turns Debbie, who hates bugs, into a cockroach and crushes her; injects Taryn, who has a history of abusing drugs, with heroin; smashes Jennifer's face against the TV, when Jennifer wanted to be an actress and appear on TV). He cannot be killed while he is in the dream world. In the dream world he has displayed various capabilities which include the ability to regenerate back lost body parts, shapeshifting and telekinetic powers, in the real world he has enhanced physical capabilities and is quite adept with his metal claws and can withstand an incredible amount of damage that no living human can take.

Weaknesses

Freddy cannot spread his influence beyond Springwood, unless he uses his daughter to get there. If he is killed, he cannot return if no one remembers him or is afraid of him. He can also be pulled out of the dream world, in which case, he is mortal, cannot use most of his powers (although he retains some of them like climbing up the ceiling or shapeshifting into his unburnt self, as evidenced in Freddy's Dead), and can die (though, as shown in Freddy's Dead and Freddy vs. Jason) he can withstand slightly more than regular humans do, as he suffers multiple injuries by Maggie and Jason and survives, when anyone else might have been killed by such injuries, but apparently can be killed by injuries serious enough as explosions or decapitation. Despite the fact that he sometimes uses it to kill his victims, Freddy appears to be afraid of fire (as it was by fire that he died his mortal death). Should an incident occur between Freddy and his dream demon masters, the demons have the capability of taking away Freddy's powers, rendering him in a weakened state. As stated and shown in The Dream Master, as he is a literal nightmare, he is also adversely weak against mirrors and reflections, as they come to recall his pain and torment that he has long inflicted on others.

Appearance

Freddy is easily recognizable by his red and green striped sweater, his clawed glove, his brown hat, and the burns to his face and body.

It's highly possible that he is based on SUNDS (or Sudden Unexpected Nocturnal Death Syndrome), a disease that, coincidentally, also involves a nightmare that would kill the victim... Even more coincident is that both use fear (Freddy uses it for power and SUNDS uses it to kill). The only difference between the two is that Freddy actually murders the victims while SUNDS simply "scares them to death"...

Wes Craven says his inspiration for the basis of Freddy Krueger's power stemmed from several stories in the Los Angeles Times about a series of mysterious deaths: All the victims had reported recurring nightmares and died in their sleep.[15] Additionally, Craven's original script characterized Freddy as a child molester, which Craven said was the "worst thing" he could think of. The decision was made to instead make him a child murderer in order to avoid being accused of exploiting the spate of highly publicized child molestation cases in California around the time A Nightmare on Elm Street went into production.[16] Craven's inspirations for the character included a bully from his school during his youth, a disfigured homeless man who had frightened him when he was 11, and the 1970s pop song "Dream Weaver" by Gary Wright. In an interview, he said, "When I looked down there was a man very much like Freddy walking along the sidewalk. He must have sensed that someone was looking at him and stopped and looked right into my face. He scared the living daylights out of me, so I jumped back into the shadows. I waited and waited to hear him walk away. Finally I thought he must have gone, so I stepped back to the window. The guy was not only still looking at me but he thrust his head forward as if to say, 'Yes, I'm still looking at you.' The man walked towards the apartment building's entrance. I ran through the apartment to our front door as he was walking into our building on the lower floor. I heard him starting up the stairs. My brother, who is ten years older than me, got a baseball bat and went out to the corridor but he was gone."[17]

Freddy's back story is revealed gradually throughout the series. In A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, the protagonists learn that Freddy's mother, Amanda Krueger, was a nun who worked in Westin Hills mental hospital caring for the inmates. Freddy was conceived when she was accidentally locked inside over the Christmas holiday and gang-raped by a group of the inmates, thus making him "the bastard son of 100 maniacs". Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare depicts Freddy's traumatic childhood; he displayed sociopathic behavior at a young age and was often teased by classmates. He was adopted as a child by an abusivealcoholic named Mr. Underwood, who teaches him how to torture animals and inflict pain on himself. Freddy eventually murders him, with no apparent consequences, and becomes a serial killer. The film also reveals that when Freddy reached adulthood, he married a woman named Loretta, with whom he fathered a daughter named Katherine. After the birth of his daughter, he tried to lead a normal life, but his murderous nature eventually overcame him, and he murdered 20 children on Elm Street between 1963 and 1966. He later murdered his wife after she discovered the evidence of his child killings, which Katherine witnessed. She told the authorities and Freddy was arrested for the murder of his wife and the Elm Street children. In 1968, he was put on trial, but released on a technicality, leading to his death at the hands of the parents of his victims. In his dying moments, the Dream Demons came to him to offer him immortality in exchange for being their agent, which Freddy accepted. His daughter, Katherine, was later moved out of Springwood, adopted, and renamed Maggie Burroughs.

In Wes Craven's New Nightmare, Freddy is characterized as a symbol of something powerful and ancient, and is given more stature and muscles.[18] Unlike the six movies before it, New Nightmare shows Freddy as closer to what Wes Craven originally intended, toning down his comedic side while strengthening the more menacing aspects of his character.

The original script had Freddy's blades being fishing knives.

Throughout the series, Freddy's potential victims often experience dreams of young children, jumping rope and chanting a rhyme to the tune of "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe" with the lyrics changed to "One, Two, Freddy's coming for you", often as an omen to Freddy's presence or a precursor to his attacks.

In other media

In The Simpsons episode Treehouse of Horror IX, after Bart, Lisa and Homer are killed in the opening sequence Freddy is shown on the couch with Jason, saying that the Simpsons should have been there by now (to which Jason, who does not usually talk, responds by saying "What are you gonna do?" before turning the TV on). Voiced by Robert Englund.

In The Simpsons episode Treehouse of Horror V Freddy Krueger appears in Moe's band of ghouls who came to take Homer out much to his dismay.

In The Simpsons episode Treehouse of Horror VI, in the second segment Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace, Groundskeeper Willie is portrayed as a Freddy Krueger-like villain. Like Freddy, Willie kills the children in their sleep but the result of being burned was over Homer's failure to heed Willie's warnings of not turning up the thermostat, not by the angered parents of children he murdered. Eventually, he appears as a bagpipe spider and tries to kill Bart and Lisa and Groundskeeper Willie is killed by Maggie when she uses her pacifier to seal the vent on his spider body.

In a episode of The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange, Teddy Juicer is a parody of Freddy Krueger.

In Both Mucha Lucha Episodes called A Nightmare on Lucha Street And Fields of Screams There is a an evil wrestler from the dream world called Misterioso Grande. Myth has it that if he defeats you and steals your mask in the dream world, it's gone forever in the real one unless Misterioso Grande is defeated. In his debut episode he steals Penny Plutonium's mask resulting in her making a makeshift mask and missing several days of school. Rikochet, The Flea, and Buena Girl go to investigate and discover what happened. Rikochet agrees to enter the dream world to challenge Misterioso Grande for Penny's mask. They collide in an epic battle but Rikochet defeats him and all the masks he stole are returned to those he stole them from and he disappears seemingly never to be seen again. He returns for his revenge in "Field of Screams". where he escapes the dream world and steals nearly everyone at the school of lucha's masks. Rikochet, the Flea, and Buena Girl team up and once again defeat him this time for good. Misterioso Grande has immense powers in both worlds, a nod to Freddy Krueger from the Nightmareon Elm Street series. Also at the end of the debut episode, Penny's dog wore Misterioso Grande's mask implicating that Penny's dog is Misterioso Grande. He was voiced by Carlos Alazraqui, and Dee Bradley Baker.

Pennywise The Dancing Clown and Andre Linoge share many similarities to Freddy Krueger:

Both are serial killers who are executed and subsequently resurrected.

Both maintain their burn scars from their executions.

Both have the ability to travel into their victim's dreams and torment their victims there

Both have godlike power in their own worlds.

Both have to face their own biological children in battle, and are then defeated by them.

In the Robot Chicken episode That Hurts Me, Freddy is one of six horror movie villains on Big Brother; the others being Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, Ghostface, Pinhead, and Leatherface. Freddy's sweater is shrunk by Ghostface when he puts it in the dryer. Freddy later replies "If Ghostface got voted out, take it from Freddy: It'll be a dream come true." He explains that the joke there is his use of the word "dream", as he kills people in their nightmares. However, he apparently changes his mind when Michael and Ghostface are on the block, and when asked to plead their case as to why they should not be evicted, Michael (unable to talk), stabs Freddy (which does no damage but annoys him). Michael got evicted in the end.

In the Robot Chicken episode I Love Her, Freddy appears with an alternate origin: Kathryn buys Freddy his infamous fedora and sweater from a school bazaar. However, the sweater itches Freddy and he creates a backscratcher to cope with the itching. Having enough of Kathryn's gifts, he goes to the school bazaar. The parents mistake him for a child abuser and attempt to lynch him, but he backs into a table with candles, causing the room to be set on fire. The Dream Demons approach Freddy, offering him the chance to be eternal as he is the angriest soul. Freddy accepts in order to rid himself of the fedora and sweater, but is disappointed when the Dream Demons do not say otherwise. Freddy mutters "Well, at least I have my complexion" as the room goes up in flames.

It is implied that there is a reference to the Nightmare on Elm Street series in Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, when a girl named Nancy (who shares the same name as the protagonist of the first film) has a nightmare about a monster trying to kill her, describing him as being "real just like on TV". As she does not live in Springwood, however, it is highly unlikely that this was actually Freddy, more of a regular nightmare and just a reference to Freddy.

A fan video (with real special effects) by Chris .R. Notarile, entitled The Nightmare Ends on Halloween, depicts Freddy in limbo after his death in Freddy vs. Jason. He asks Michael Myers to spread fear in Elm Street, which eventually leads to a fight between them. In the end, Freddy is cornered by Michael, Jason, and Leatherface, at the request of Pinhead, who is out to recapture Freddy for escaping from Hell, and his soul is torn apart.

Freddy is a playable character in the flash game Bloody Rage, which features several other characters, most of them superheroes, anime characters, and video game characters. Jason is also a playable character.

In the Family Guy episode The Splendid Source, Quagmire gives Freddy a joke to tell Peter in his dreams. Peter wakes up and says 'If you poop in your dreams you poop for real' an altered line from the 2010 remake, If you die in your dreams, you die for real.

On YouTube, there is a video in which Freddy calls some of the women in the movies the "bitch", causing someone on YouTube to believe he is a misogynist.

Freddy was referenced in "Weird Al" Yankovic's "The Night Santa Went Crazy" with the lyrics: "And he slashed up Dasher just like Freddy Krueger!"

Freddy appears in the YouTube series "My Little Pony: Friendship For All" in the season five episode "A Nightmare in Ponyville". Here, Freddy haunts the dreams of Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Night Rider, Wingsaber, Dawn Raiser, Sugar Rush, Rob, his brother Mechswell, Derpy Hooves, Black Eye, Tough Luck and Combat Mare. Freddy kills Combat Mare by slashing her with his blades (in a similar fashion to Tina's death in the first film), Black Eye by turning into a snake and devouring him and Tough Luck by disembowlment (resembling the way Freddy kills Ron in the second film). Freddy himself is killed by Fighter Night when the latter beats up the former with Smash Punch, Vulcan Jabs, Tomoe Throw and Down Kick before finishing Freddy off with Rising Break, causing Freddy to explode and be destroyed. He is voiced by the show's creator, director, writer and editor, Dakota Woloschuk.

During 2007's Halloween Horror Nights: Carnival of Carnage at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood, Freddy was one of the sub-icons along with Jason Voorhees and Leatherface, while Jack the Clown takes the role as the main icon of the event. Freddy, along with the other two aforementioned horror movie villains appeared in the live show titled The Carnival of Carnage with Jack the Clown as the host.

Freddy Krueger also appeared in two of the HISHE episodes: How Scream Should Have ended and How Inception should have ended. In How Scream Should Have Ended: In How Scream should have ended, a guy is telling his friends 6 rules about how to outsmart and gain the upper hand against the killer, Ghostface. After he tells the 6th rule, Freddy appears and says: "I have a question; What do you do if the killer attacks you inside you're dreams?" And then reveals himself and attacks them and they start running and in How Inception Should Have Ended: Freddy Krueger also made a short appearance in Inception when everyone falls asleep and starts dreaming and are in the dream world, they see Freddy blowing a trumpet and they say "Cut that racket, Krueger!". Freddy replies by saying "Well, excuse me, I'm new at this!" and that was the part that the viewers saw him in.

While not appearing in any sense, Freddy is indirectly mentioned multiple times in the Call of Duty Black Ops Zombie Map "Call of the Dead", which features Robert Englund as one of the playable characters. Here are a few examples:

"Slicing and dicing and...hey, reminds me of a movie!" (Referring to Elm Street)

"Well, at least it isn't fire..." (Referring to Freddy's weakness to fire. This is said when Englund enters freezing water in the map)

"I am your worst nightmare!" (One of Freddy's catchphrases)

"Where's my glove when I need it?!" (Referring to Freddy's glove)

"Whew...thought I was never going to wake up." (Said after being revived from near-death)

In the Everybody Hates Chris episode "Everybody Hates Chain Snatching", Chris prevents Malvo from snatching Vanessa's gold chain, causing Malvo to threaten him to give him a new gold chain by tomorrow night or else he will be there when he least expects it, even in his dreams. During the cutaway, Malvo shows up wearing Freddy's fedora, sweater and glove, once again asking Chris where his chain is at.

In the YouTube comedy gaming web-series The Angry Video Game Nerd, the Nerd (played by James Rolfe) does a review of the NES game based on A Nightmare On Elm Street which is revealed to take place in the nightmare world as Freddy Krueger (played in a double role by James Rolfe and Mike Matei) forces the Nerd to play the game. The Nerd also clones himself to play in four-player mode and at the end of the review, Freddy begins to kill off the clones until only the original Nerd remains and is confronted by Freddy, who intimidates him and says that he is his own damn nightmare for playing shitty games and prepares to kill him until the Nerd defeats him by punching him in the face with the Power Glove.

Hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince have a Nightmare on Elm Street-inspired song called A Nightmare on My Street, which even features Freddy on the track and makes references to the films, including Freddy telling Will Smith "I'm your DJ now, Princey!" after he kills DJ Jazzy Jeff.

Freddy's glove made cameo appearances in other horror movies, it made an appearance in Evil Dead II, Bride of Chucky, and Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday.

There is a Goosebumps book by R.L. Stine called, "A Nightmare on Clown Street" referencing the first movies title.